January 1968

The Christian is bound to share the good news that has changed their life. In his sermon on John 4:28–30 titled “Bound to Share,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones paints a vivid picture of the Christian and their compassion for the souls of the lost. The Christian knows the feeling of being both freed and forgiven from enslaving sin. If they have been saved, they know that they were only a great sinner in need of a great Savior. Dr. Lloyd-Jones illustrates that conversion is like a sick person who is given a prescription that gives health and vitality again. When that person sees someone with that same ailment, they cannot help but speak of what made them well again with the hope that the other person will be healed. Similarly, someone who has been brought new life by the gospel cannot help but share it with others in need. Jesus does not only have compassion on His people and forgive them; He also gives them compassionate and forgiving hearts.

What makes the gospel so unique? In the sermon “The Content of the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones opens Acts 8:35 and shows how the good news of Jesus Christ is not a message of human invention. The gospel of Christ is by design opposed to the ways of sinful people who do not know God. For this reason, it is a great stumbling block to Jew and Gentile alike. This is because the Christian message is one of salvation from sins by the atoning work of Jesus Christ, who died upon a cross so that all who are sinful could be counted righteous before God. So, it is not a matter of personal experience nor is it about mystical revelations. The truth of Christianity is revealed truth and it is found in God’s holy and inspired word. This is the sure and steady foundation for Christianity, for in it is all that is needed to achieve godliness and holiness. It is in this word that the truth of what Jesus Christ did on Calvary’s cross is found. When the Christian stands to proclaim the truth of God and His Son, Jesus Christ, they do not come on the basis of experience, but with the very words of the living God.

Lopsided Christianity is an unappealing religion. Divisions and fracturing over minutia have severely harmed evangelism and the church’s witness to the world. The apostle Paul’s battle cry in Romans 14:17 is that the kingdom of God is not about minutia such as meat and drink. Following Paul’s teaching in this sermon on Romans 14:17 titled “A Sense of Balance (1),” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones applies this point to the contemporary church. Today’s Christians are just as guilty of making the kingdom of God about minutia – subsidiary doctrines, church government, particular church leaders. It is vitally important, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, to preserve a sense of balance in all areas of the Christian life. While not advocating unity at all cost, Dr. Lloyd-Jones does challenge the contemporary church over unnecessary denominational divisions. He is not merely concerned in this message of affirming church unity, but seeks a diagnosis of church division instead. Beyond denominations, Dr. Lloyd-Jones scrutinizes the usefulness of “movements” within evangelical Christianity which isolate a particular part of the faith (i.e. evangelism) from the whole. This can equally lead Christians to lose their sense of balance. Finally, Dr. Lloyd-Jones remarks about the nature and character of theological education and the propensity of institutions to isolate the study of Scripture away from its intended context of worship. In all this, trouble arises when Christians forget what the kingdom of God is about.

What does it look like to follow Christ? In this sermon titled “A Man of Authority,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones looks at the extraordinary encounter between Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4:28–30. The woman believes in Jesus and then goes into her village to tell them of the great man she encountered. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that this woman is an example of what it looks like to follow Christ because when she leaves behind her sin, she is not content to rest until she has told others of her Savior. This woman realizes that the most important question to answer is: “Who is Christ?” It is not debating about religion and politics, but the identity of this man, Jesus Christ, that is most important. What is found in Jesus that cannot found elsewhere? In Jesus is the glory of God made manifest and dwelling among His people. He alone has true authority over all. The coming of Jesus is the most important thing to ever happen to this world because He is the Savior of all who believe upon His name. There should not be concern with anything else until the Christian knows that they are believing and trusting in Him as Savior.

Why can't the world figure out its own need for salvation? In the sermon “Do You Understand?” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones shows from Acts 8:29­–30 how the natural human is blinded to the truth of God. That is, they are unable to understand the spiritual things because they are fleshly and carnal. This is why those in the church who want to change the Christian message to be more accommodating to modern people are so mistaken. Modern humanity’s problem with the Christian message is really nothing unique. It is the product of an unbelieving and sinful nature. They do not need a more up-to-date message; their problem is much deeper. It is one of spiritual blindness and deadness. This is why only those who the Holy Spirit of God enlightens can see and believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Only God can give sinful people a new heart and mind that seeks after what is good and holy, and only He can work the miracle of regeneration so that those who were once dead can come to life in Christ. This is the Christian message that is so necessary in this time and in all times. This is the only message that the church has been given to proclaim to this broken and sin-filled world.

A chief doctrinal debate within church history is the nature and character of eternal security. Does Scripture indeed teach the doctrine of the perseverance of the saints? Or to ask the question another way: is it possible for one for whom Christ died to be lost? Despite the clarity of Scripture on this topic (in places like Romans 8 and John 10), there are a few ambiguous texts which seem to suggest the possibility of a regenerate person falling away from grace. One such difficult text is Romans 14:14–16 where Paul seems to suggests one can destroy – eternally perish – the soul of another brother if they neglect considering their conscience. In this sermon on “Once Saved, Always Saved” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines this passage and others like it, using it as an opportunity to teach Christians how to responsibly handle apparent contradictions in Scripture. With theological acumen, Dr. Lloyd-Jones helps the listener to consider why it is impossible for anyone to be responsible for the everlasting destruction of another person. Not only listen and be encouraged by the assurance believers have, but hear Dr. Lloyd-Jones handle difficult texts with care.

What compels Christians to spread the gospel? In this sermon on John 4:28–30 titled “Spreading the Gospel,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on what true evangelistic zeal looks like in contrast to the false zeal of cults and other religions. He notes that cults and worldly originations always use mechanical ways of spreading their message, as if by a tape recorder. Why is this? Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains this as a sign that their message lacks any power to really transform people and motivate them to bring it to others. They must rely on lifeless and cookie-cutter means of teaching. This is in stark contrast to what is found in the gospel. He looks at the Samaritan woman whom Jesus meets at the well. Upon hearing the news of who Jesus is and believing in Him, she leaves behind her water jar, and goes into the city to tell everyone about her new faith. This is what true evangelism looks like: it is not the result of calculated methods and plans, but it is an outflow of an inward change. It is the power of the Holy Spirit made manifest in the lives of believers. It is the true knowledge of who God is and what He has done that compels Christians to share the gospel.

What is so significant about the baptism of the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26–31? This is an interesting story of how God, in His providence, arranges for Philip to meet this man and share the message of Jesus with him. It also shows that even the religious must repent and believe in the gospel as the only means of salvation. This Ethiopian man went to the temple in Jerusalem to worship, yet he had not received the Holy Spirit. He knew of the sacrifices in the temple, but not of the sacrifice of Christ. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says that only a religion that is based on and focused on Christ can have any saving power. Only true religion gives any satisfaction in this life. Many people fill their lives with worldly wisdom and vain religion, but the gospel tells that all is for nothing if one does not have Christ. This sermon asks one the question: “what religion do I have? Am I following a dead religion that has no power to save and transform me?” All must turn to Christ Jesus as the only true center of true religion and worship.

Teaching on the conscience is relatively sparse in Scripture. The topic occurs in only a few passages in Paul’s letters so many Christians are either uninformed about the conscience or perhaps confused. How vital is it to the Christian life and what is Scripture’s teaching on it? In a sermon dedicated entirely to key questions regarding the conscience, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones posits that the apostle Paul’s teaching on the conscience is one of the most important subjects for the family of God. In his sermon on Romans 14:14–16 titled “Conscience,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones brings related passages on the conscience together in order to evaluate key terms and answer basic questions on the conscience. Drawing from Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 10, Dr. Lloyd-Jones analyzes the context of strong and weak Christians on matters of opinion. With regards to these indifferent matters, the conscience is ultimate. Christians are not to exercise their liberty in such a way that it comes under the condemnation of another believer’s conscience. Disregarding another’s conscience or one’s own can have devastating results. As such, Dr. Lloyd-Jones looks in-depth at Scriptural teaching on a defiled and seared conscience. Finally, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones provides listeners with the two main functions of the conscience in the Christian life.

In this sermon from John 4:28–30 titled “Christianity or Religion?”, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches on the centrality of a relationship to Christ and how it should change every part of one’s life. Christianity is not just another helpful life teaching that can be added to a daily routine, but it is the message of salvation from God. It is the truth that all who believe in Christ are made children of God and forgiven from all sins. This means that now they view all of this life and the future in light of this hope. It means that the Christian tests themselves to see if they are truly in Christ. The Bible is clear that there are many who say they believe but are self-deceived. This is why the Bible exhorts all Christians to test themselves to see whether they are in the faith. This vital message for all to hear and obey is that Jesus died and saved those that believe.

Why are people so opposed to the idea of the supernatural? Why does humanity so quickly reject any belief that says there is something beyond people, matter, and motion? In the sermon “All of God,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones says the answer is because rather than deal with the hard reality of personal sin, humanity chooses to wholly reject the existence of God. Instead of submitting to the one true God, they wrongly believe in a closed universe with no deity that acts outside of time and history to bring about change in the world. The result is that they are left with just humanity, their intellect, and mind. But the word of God tells something quite different from the scientific humanist, for at the very heart of Christianity is the belief that not only does God exist, but He deeply loves this whole world to the point that He sent His only beloved Son to act in history to redeem sinners. Jesus Christ, God’s incarnate Son, was born into the world in a real place, to real human parents. He died a real death so that sinners could be redeemed from their sin and guilt. There is no other hope for the world. God has provided no other way of salvation other than believing in the name of Jesus.